Related Articles

Evidence of Shadow Hare's anti-crime efforts have yet to surface although he said he dislocated his shoulder while trying to help a woman who was being attacked two years ago.

He said he is currently working with a San Diego-based superhero called Mr Extreme to "track down a rapist". Other members include Wall Creeper from Colorado and Aclyptico from Pennsylvania.

Shadow Hare is by no means the first American citizen to take to extremes the country's fascination with comic book superheroes.

Others also dress up in the regulation tights and underwear worn over outwear, but their do-gooding activities rarely extend to actual crime-fighting.

A group called Superheroes Anonymous includes Red Justice, a New York teacher who encourages young people to give up their subway seats to others, a litter-collecting woman in white cape and yellow gloves called The Cleanser, and The Super, who rescues victims of bad plumbing wearing green tights and a red cape.

Shadow Hare has written on his MySpace blog – all superheroes have a blog – that "criminals and corrupt people will run out of places to hide" now that his group has formed.